Rock Spring Baptist Church

Day 5 of our mission trip with Cedar Rock First Baptist Church to the Dominican Republic was right up our youth’s alley. It was our last day of ministry in Pedernales. In the schedule was another time of VBS and a baseball clinic in the afternoon.

After another wonderful breakfast we loaded the bus headed to a larger town for this area. Navigating sharp turns and steep climbs in the bus was no problem for Angelo, our trusty (and humorous) driver for the week.

We arrived at the church to a roar of activity. Much to our surprise, 150 kids plus a few adults awaited our arrival. There was so much excitement for our team to share the love of Jesus that will impact the next generation.

Since we were not expecting this many or prepared for a craft, our team did what it does best: pivot and adapt. They developed a plan and executed the plan. We sang a couple songs, taught the story of Daniel and the lion’s den, had testimonies, games (the cow standoff was hilarious), a snack, and a presentation of the gospel story.

We departed amazed at what God had done through the team, and will do through these kids, this church, and the leadership that will guide them for years to come.

On the way back to the church, we got to read/hear a testimony of one of the girls who traveled with us. She admitted to attending church for the sole purpose of getting a bite of bread at the end. Her friend kept encouraging her to go, but she kept finding ways to avoid going, even if it meant going hungry. Before long, the persistence of her friend won out and she saw a benefit beyond a physical filling to a spiritual filling. She received Christ and began to be active from that point to this day.

The next stop was lunch (like we need to eat again - let me say that Ruddy’s church fed us so well for the time we were here). They told us that the proceeds from the food they prepared will help them purchase chairs. As it stands now, I think there are only 20 chairs remaining from over 50 they had just 2 years ago.

We finished lunch and rested a bit before our baseball clinic, nearby. Local players were ready for the challenge, so we played a couple games on their field. Everyone had fun. We ended with a testimony, prayer, and handing out some of the equipment we brought.

If you remember the chance encounter with Peter from day 3, we were expecting to see him at the baseball clinic. However, we had a change of location, and had no way to communicate the change. One of our team members returned to his town and met with him to encourage him. Ruddy now has his contact, and will follow up with him. Continue to pray for Peter.

We returned to the field from the previous day to challenge the local team again (this time we were prepared instead of playing in jeans and boots). Much to our surprise, the local area president/mayor heard about our return and came with his own team to challenge us. After overcoming some interesting counting, we came out victorious. Not wanting to go out this way, the home team asked for a second game that was much more lopsided in their favor. Again, we had so much fun and great sportsmanship. The two teams gathered for a couple more testimonies and prayer. We left more equipment as the sun began to set on our last day in this area.

After another meal, we gathered around Ruddy’s family and kitchen staff to pray for them as they continue on in the work of the gospel. It was a bittersweet goodbye to our hosts. We all hope we visit them again, but have the assurance that we will meet again in heaven.

We debriefed on the way back, and made a stop for snacks for the drive the next day. A group of us finally went down to the “shortest river in the world” for a refreshing dip in the rather cool water.

While it is sad to leave in the morning, we hope to pause, remember, and pray for those remaining behind.